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Friday, 11 January 2013

"His birthdays were never exactly fun- last year the Dursleys had given him a coat-hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks."

Ahhhh, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I can still remember the first time I read this, under slight duress, and going, 'Gawd, the first chapters are really boring, aren't they? Who are all these people and why are they doing things that I don't understand?'

Obviously, as soon as Hagrid turns up and we more or less get to leave the Dursleys behind, everything becomes amazing, but before then... I was not impressed. The thing is, reading it again now, it's like... The first few chapters are AMAZING, because I know everything (and I mean everything) and it's lovely going back and going 'I know you! And I know what's about to happen to YOU' and, it's a really nice feeling.

Now, I read waaay ahead of where we're supposed to have done for this week (I blame the mini-readathon! And also, you know, it's Harry Potter) but I'm going to try and keep what I know to myself *secret spy face*. But basically, here are some feelings I have:

The Dursleys are so ridiculously terrible. I feel like I should be complaining about how caricaturish they are, but I can't because their terribleness is what gets us on Harry's side form the very beginning because we can both appreciate how horrible they are whilst also laughing at them together.

I kind of forgot that there was a time when Harry, Ron and Hermione weren't friends, and I am NOT A FAN OF THIS. Having said this, Hermoine is kind of really bossy and irritating to start with, so I get why they don't want to be her friend, but STILL I can't deal with this time. Not at all.

I LOVES THE MAGIC! Like how we bond with Harry over his horrible family, we also get to go along on his journey into the magic side of the world, and HOW COOL IS THAT?! There is no telling me that there isn't a Diagon Alley hidden somewhere in London, and one day I will find it, I swear. But the pictures that move and 'non-existent' train platforms and wizard money... If there's one thing that the Philosopher's Stone does, it's building the magical world, and it does it SO well.

I also love how Ron is all interested in the muggle world. Cause that's how it would be if you were a raised wizard and so everything was just old hat to you!

Speaking of old hats, the Sorting Hat... I love the concept, but I CAN'T DO SONGS IN BOOKS. So now you know. I blame Lord of the Rings, frankly.

Malfoy is a weenie. This is something we'll come back to.

OBViously I have about 15 million more things to say, but I'm trying not to shoot my wad over the first 9 chapters of the series (because that would be messy [SORRY]) but basically, what I'm trying to say is, I'm SO EXCITED to be reading Harry Potter again. Next time I may have thoughts that don't even need to be bullet pointed, but for now I'm too hyper for paragraphs.

31 comments:

Okay so I'm going to have to come back to this later because sometimes GIFs don't show up on my work computer (shakes fist at it), but yay! I love love love the magical world-building. And songs in books suuuuck, but I did read it through this time, maybe because I was just soaking it all in. Later in the books I totally just gloss over that part.

Sorry. I got a bit worked up there. Songs suck SO MUCH, but I did read this because it's not that long and there's basically only one (I mean, there's the Hogwarts song like a page later. But it's bearable) I just wanted to get my hatred of book songs out there!

I love that we basically found the exact same gif to represent our dislike and boredom, but with different actors.

Magic IS awesome! Can you imagine how terrifying yet unbelievable those first few weeks would be?

Songs are the worst (THANKS TOLKIEN) but I kinda love the sorting hat song. In grade 6 we had to do a literary monologue and I did the sorting hat song and one from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Diversity yo.

IT IS NOT. I think the main thing with songs is that I can't HEAR them, and so I'm just like 'so basically I'm reading a kind of shit poem. Right.' If the book ACTUALLY sang to me... That would probably be ok.

I love the beginning! And I never used to! But it's just like now I'm all aware of the story, I GET IT ALL. And it's ace!

YESSSSSSS! I totally read ahead because, you know, fun, and I was just like yessssssssssssss at the thing that bonds them. Well, just that they were bonded. Because DAMN I love that girl.

She really is. Although I think it's kind of a good way to introduce her because SHE DOESN'T CHANGE, and the things that we once found annoying about her turn out to be the things that save them SO MANY TIMES. So that's great!

OMG, this post is awesome. Except for the 'shooting your wad' part because THERE IS MAYONNAISE IN MY SANDWICH. :(

I totally in some tiny part of my heart believe that one day someone will find Diagon Alley. AND THAT DAY WILL BE AWESOME. And not just because then I can legitimately buy my own magic owl (finally).

Hermione definitely needed her hair pulled once or twice at the beginning there. And Mary Poppins has exactly managed to match her lipstick to her coat, which is amazing because it's a really odd colour. The girl in Boots would be so proud.

And I hear you on the Not Friends Yet busienss. At one point in the second half of the book Hermione is like, We need to go tell Dumbledore, and Ron is like, We don't have any PROOF, and I am like, OH RIGHT, they aren't besties with Dumbles yet and can't just walk up to him all, This is what we think is happening. SO WEIRD.

Hey, Alice likes them! But Alice is strange. I think I'd definitely like them better if they were ACTUAL songs that sang to me, but they clearly haven't thought up music to go with them.

Oh man! I forgot there was a time when they were totally like 'ooh, Dumbledore's a bit intimidating, and he might not believe us!' Harry hasn't even had a CONVERSATION with him yet, has he? Oh man, it's so weird being back at the beginning again!

See, I wasn't even impatient for Hagrid! Especially in the first chapter when I'm like 'I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE CELEBRATING!!' and so on, but I really think my reaction is just because I remember HATING the first chapters the first time I read it, so now that I like them A BIT, it's like they're amazing.

I actually like the first chapters! Am I the only one?? The Dursleys are so ridiculous and we hate them so much that Harry is just the coolest seeming kid ever. Or maybe that's my nerd complex showing again... but seriously, I like the first bits, though of course I like the bits with Hagrid and magic better.

The songs aren't the best BUT they remind me of one summer when a friend and I tried to memorize the Sorting Hat song and we would recite it in the backseat while our parents drove us to the mall/the pool/other places where 12-year-olds thrive.

Lol, the songs in LoTR are awful, but I kind of like singing the "school song" (which we never hear again). Though I have to say, listening to Jim Dale sing it on the audio version is less fun, despite his generally fantastic narration.

The Dursleys are the woooooorst. I wish I could tell you they improve but I can't tell you ANYTHING AT ALL. It's for your own good.

YES! That's the thing, I think. Cause as a kid, you've been told that these books are really good, but instead there's just this boy who's kind of been a bit bullied and stuff, and it's like 'righhhht...' But yeah. Way better now, obviously!

He fell asleeeep?! That's not on, really! Duuude, this is going to sound SO dumb, but I totally didn't make that connection. HOW STUPID! Cause it's totally your name! Obviously! *Smacks self upside the head*

I'm so relieved you're not a paedophile. That could have been way awk.

My 11-year old self thought the Dursleys were the cruelest, most cold-hearted people ever. And then I read it again, and my 26 year old self thought that they were cheesy, like "Matilda's parents" cheesy.

I need to keep reading so Hermione can be friends with Harry and Ron. I hate that Hermione is annoying and I hate that the boys are obnoxious to her. They need to be friends like ASAP, haha!

I can't do songs in fiction either - so glad the movie chose to leave it out. It would have been painful to bear.